Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­

If France’s most popular sports seem too ±è²¹²õ²õé for your taste, you may like to embrace a new challenge. A wave of new and unusual sports is sweeping the country. They blend creativity, fitness, fun and even a sense of humour. 

Here is a choice of five that you might want to consider. 

1. Light sabre (sabre laser)

It might be a weapon invented in a galaxy far, far away; but it has now become popular in France. In 2019 the French Fencing Federation () officially recognised duelling using luminescent LED polycarbonate swords as a bona fide sport. Fans of the Star Wars films dress in costume and engage in fights either competitively or as a form of choreography.

2. Subaquatic hockey (le hockey subaquatique)

This variant of hockey cannot claim to be a spectator sport as it is played at the bottom of a swimming pool by players holding their breath – only a mask and snorkel are allowed. Otherwise the principle is much the same. Teams use small sticks to manoeuvre a weighted puck along the pool floor toward the opponent’s goal. 

In France, it is overseen by the French Underwater Sports Federation (), which promotes the sport at both recreational and competitive levels.

Read also: What are the different ways to watch American football in France?

3. Menhir throwing (lancer de menhir)

Any fan of the Asterix series of comic books will be familiar with the supernaturally strong Obelix who can hurl a large stone (menhir – a standing stone in English when it is in the ground) any distance you like. 

This has been turned into a modern sport – although it could be a revival of a genuine Celtic-Breton tradition. Stone-hurlers today use modest, standardised 25kg chunks of stone. The town of Guerlesquin in Brittany holds an annual competition during which magic Druidical potion is served.

4. Hobby horse 

The ancient children’s game played with an imitation horse’s head placed on a pole was turned into a serious sport in Finland around the year 2000. It has recently been gaining in popularity in France, mainly, but not exclusively, among girls. It mimics dressage, jumping and other equestrian events. The French Hobbyhorse Association (FHHA) sets the rules and promotes the sport. 

Find about le cheval à deux pattes – ‘the two-legged horse’.

Read also: French schools to bring in new physical exercise tests for pupils

5. Quidditch 

If, like me, you are a muggle and unable to fly you can still play an adaptation of the magical sport invented by JK Rowling for her Harry Potter books. Properly, terrestrial Quidditch is now called Quadball and it combines elements of rugby, dodgeball and tag. 

Male and female players play together holding symbolic broomsticks between their legs. The French Quidditch Federation () governs the sport, organising national tournaments. It’s a fast moving game, although nowhere near as fast as the supernatural, aerial, fictitious original.